RANK #273 / 1001 NAT · #9 / 22 MO · POP 110,773
1YR FORECAST: +2.1%
5YR OUTLOOK: +20%
Cass County, Missouri, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, offers a blend of suburban and rural living. Harrisonville, the county seat, is about 35 miles south of Kansas City and holds historical significance from its founding in 1837. The county is notable for being home to the westernmost trailhead of the Katy Trail, a 287-mile recreational rail trail. Commuting to Kansas City is common, with an average one-way commute of 27.9 minutes. Public transportation options include bus services and a light rail line connecting towns like Harrisonville and Belton to Kansas City. The area features conservation areas like Bittern Bottoms and James R. Harter, offering opportunities for hiking, bird watching, and enjoying diverse habitats.
Life in Cass County often appeals to families and those seeking a community with access to outdoor activities. The public schools in Cass County are generally above average. Recent economic developments in towns like Harrisonville include efforts to revitalize downtown areas with new retail and apartment units, addressing a low housing vacancy rate. The county's economy is also supported by agricultural production, with a significant annual economic impact from crops and livestock. Additionally, there is ongoing investment in sectors such as data centers and energy.
Cass County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +4.4% YoY, population +1.3%, wages +3.8%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below-average climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 20.5x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Cass County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Proposed Data Center (Peculiar)
Undisclosed
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
Cass Battery/Storage
Undisclosed (MISO interconnection queue)
|
$280M | Planned |
|
NextEra Energy Solar Project (near Harrison Hill)
NextEra Energy
|
$200M | Proposed |
|
Cass County Solar Project
Ameren Missouri (acquired from Savion Energy)
|
$125M | Under Construction |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 73/100, Cass County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. Employment is expanding at +2.5%, and median household income stands at $87,535 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in MO.
Housing in Cass County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $292,400 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.30, with rents averaging $1,205/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Cass County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +1.3% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +2.5% clip — and home values reflect that momentum, rising +4.4% over the past 12 months.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 4.84% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Cass County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.